Chapter 213: Mysterious Turtle Sage, Whitemoon Tribe
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
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The dragon traveled across the skies without fear of anything!
Northern Yuan, which once ruled the world with 100,000 Metal Horse Carriages, had now delved into a terrible and precarious situation.
The endless snowstorm was continuing. More than 80% of the beasts in the grasslands had been frozen to death. 100,000 Metal Horse Carriages were blocked in Yunzhou cities. They could not move an inch. It could be foreseen that if Jin remained in such an advantage and continued locking down the prairies, as long as this winter passed, at least half of Northern Yuan would die of hunger. The remaining half would also be slaughtered by the imperial troops.
This was a war between nations, and it was to exterminate a nation. In this struggle between these nations that had come to such a situation, there was not any reason to speak of.
The Jin had already made a clear stance that they wanted to exterminate Northern Yuan!
Apart from the lockdown of the entire Northern Yuan borders, numerous martial artists poured into the grasslands, and their targets were the warriors of the various tribes.
Those warriors who had not entered the frontlines but remained behind to protect the various tribes were hunted down and killed one by one!
Yes, hunted!
These Jin martial artists would not give you a fair chance to battle at all. They set up different sorts of traps and methods. Following these martial artists were the Jin imperial cavalry. Once the tribe’s fighting strength was killed, then the cavalry would enter and exterminate the entire tribe. Following behind the cavalry were the merchant groups. Slaves, merchants, strong young women, and girls and boys were all captured. Those males who were taller than carriage wheels were all killed. The tribes were engulfed in flames, leaving behind old people in this snowstorm to die a lingering death.
The Jin came prepared this time around. They were not only there to exterminate a nation, but to exterminate the tribes as well!
“This time around, Northern Yuan is finished. The various big tribes in the prairie had their pneuma severely injured. The Metal Horse Carriages in Yunzhou don’t amount to anything much. We only have to wait for spring to come next year and for the Jin army to enter. Northern Yuan doesn’t have a chance at all!”
In Yunzhou, within Qinlingjun City, the past few months saw an increase in human traffic. The inns were all packed. All sorts of pugilists were gathered there, only waiting for a chance to enter Northern Yuan from Qinlingjun City. They wanted to be part of the last push that would topple this big building.
Northern Yuan and the hinterlands of the Central Plains had faced off for thousands of years and killed countless people. This enmity had long been formed as deep as the sea. In these few thousand years, even though there was a sage spreading his teachings within the hinterlands of the Central Plains, and that there were some changes in attitude towards the Northern Yuan, those changes happened only within the educated and the scholars. Those illiterates would not understand the compassionate teachings of the sage.
How could those martial artists who floated around in Jianghu and wiped the blood off their weapons understand the teachings of the sage?
On the contrary, for these few thousand years, Northern Yuan kept plundering the Central Plains. Even hundreds of those treasures that had specific names were stolen. Furthermore, in recent years, the Northern Yuan Metal Horse Carriages had obtained enormous wealth from plundering. Which tribe had not stolen treasures, jewelry, gold, and silver from the Central Plains?
In Jin, robbery was a crime. One would become a bandit and be hunted down by the imperial court. However, that would not happen in Northern Yuan!
If you either had the capability or your martial arts were powerful, then nobody would blame you if you went to Northern Yuan to steal. They would even applaud you as a hero. Only a fool would not go for it!
A month ago, Evil Twin Guanxi rushed into a small tribe to challenge a warrior there. They cooperated to kill that warrior with a cultivation of Level Three. They robbed a Moon Jade Horse from this tribe. It was a treasure from the previous dynasty and it was worth tens of thousands of gold. The moment they returned to Qinlingjun City, it stirred up a commotion.
This horse was purchased by a merchant for 300,000 gold. This allowed the Evil Twins Guanxi to strike it rich. At the same time, the imperial court had removed the notice against them. They even congratulated them and commended them for doing something for the nation, and that they were role models for the nation.
Once this example had been set up, the entire Jianghu went crazy!
For those meddling in Jianghu, who had not killed one or two people? Everyone was stained with blood. Things were good this time around. As long as one went to Northern Yuan to set fire and kill people, one’s records would be washed clean. Even a fool would do it!
After a few days, more shocking news came. The Southern Sea Heavenly Thunder found a celestial device in a tribe and refined it successfully. With the celestial device, he killed 4 prairie warriors of the same level and also a few of his great enemies.
The news further stimulated the entire Central Plains martial arts world.
In a short half month, people from the martial arts world who entered into Northern Yuan to kill the prairie experts already increased by double.
Northern Yuan’s fate was shaky at this very moment!
“Northern Yuan is finished!” In the restaurants, guests abounded. Everybody, apart from talking about Northern Yuan, was still talking about Northern Yuan. Even the major incident of Junior Leopard killing a Level Eight expert had already died down. As long as one was not a fool, they could see with a glance that Northern Yuan was already hopeless. The Jin’s everlasting regime had basically been halfway set in stone.
As long as the 100,000 Metal Horse Carriages outside of Yunzhou could be dragged down and destroyed, the Jin imperial army would be able to pierce through without any resistance.
This was an era where the world was chaotic!
Things had already developed to such a stage. Even those well-known families from the Central Plains could hardly sit still.
All of them sent the experts from their families to head towards the prairie in an extremely flamboyant manner.
To seek the honor that belonged to themselves!
“Northern Yuan can no longer withstand it!” Within the Yunlai Building in Qinlingjun City, in a certain room, there was a middle-aged man with a face full of a satisfied smile. His hand was waving a fan and he was listening to the discussion outside the room. His face was carefree, not caring about the weather that could even freeze the urine when one was peeing.
If people who recognized him saw him in this manner, their mouths would be left gaping wide. The always strict and imposing Governor Ma Tianchang had suddenly become so amiable, just like a scholar.
“I’ll see how long you can be so arrogant. This matter hasn’t concluded yet!” Sitting beside him was a lady in white clothes. This lady looked like she was in her 20s. She looked extremely beautiful, and her eyes flashed a bright light. “If the old thing in the north decides to interfere, then what will happen?!”
“You think that he can interfere?!” Ma Tianchang said, smiling. The fan in his hand was no longer waving. “Furthermore, even if he really intervenes, I’m not afraid. Don’t you have that thing?!”
“That thing is powerful. However, if met with such an old monster…” The lady’s eyebrows slightly furrowed. “You’d better not pin too much hope on it!”
“Okay okay, I’m just joking. Will that old monster really dare to intervene in this matter?” Ma Tianchang’s face was full of smiles. “Look, now the situation has already reached such a stage. Is there any news about him?!”
“If you aren’t worried about him, why are you not sending your troops up north?!” The lady’s eyes flashed a hint of mockery. “Aren’t you waiting for news also? You are scared that once you send your troops up north, that old monster will not care about anything and intervene…!”
“Yes, I’m waiting. I’m waiting for concrete news!” Ma Tianchang slowly raised his chin, his face revealing a bitter smile. “Similarly, I’m scared of that old monster. I’m scared that he’ll intervene without caring about everything and spoil our plans. However, based on the situation now, I don’t need to worry!”
“Any good news?!”
“It couldn’t be considered good news. Living Buddha Ba Siba has given up chasing after Wang She. He headed north to the snow. Looks like he’s going to seek help!”
“Then aren’t you worried!”
“Hmph, Ba Siba is not around. That means Wang She is completely released. Dark Lord Mie Chen can only wish to come to the frontlines. We just need to deal with Kunlun Master. As for that old monster in the snow plains, there’ll naturally be someone dealing with him!”
“Who?!”
“You really want to know?!” Ma Tianchang looked at his wife and his eyes flashed a trace of happiness. “Three months ago, the Mysterious Turtle Sage achieved the Thunder Tribulation Golden Body. Now he has gone to find the old monster to play chess!”
“Pu—” The white-clothed lady spat out a mouthful of water directly in Ma Tianchang’s eyes. She exclaimed, “Three months ago? You already knew it three months ago?!”
“No, I only knew it this morning!” Ma Tianchang said, “Hence, I came out to take a walk!”
“You are going to make a move?!”
“I’ll take action tonight!” Ma Tianchang rose up, his eyes having an intense hot glare. “Northern Yuan is finished!”
…
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Northern Yuan was already on the rocks!
Junior Leopard sighed. He was carrying a human head and left the tribe in the everlasting snowstorm. In his surroundings were a tribe of old people with hateful and fearful gazes. Junior Leopard did not like such gazes. However, he would not kill them just because of those hateful gazes.
These Northern Yuan people did not have the strength nor the courage to make a move against him. All of their energy was spent on dealing with this snowstorm.
This was the ninth Northern Yuan expert that he had killed. He entered Northern Yuan straight from Yunzhou. Along the north way, he met a few scattered tribes and went to challenge them. Within a short two months, he challenged 23 small tribes and killed nearly a hundred warriors that stayed behind to protect the tribes. There were nine of them whose cultivation had exceeded Level Three and already reached the Bone-Forging Realm. All these people were the leaders of the warriors in the tribes. Junior Leopard naturally would not show any mercy toward them.
However, after killing these people, Junior Leopard no longer had the interest to enter deep into the prairies. That was because he realized that, right now, experts that were below Level Seven could no longer pose any threat to him.
Even if he did not use the Demon Devil Needles, nor the black hammer, nor the Extreme Yang Through Sky Sword, he could easily kill a Level Six opponent using his fists.
He came to the prairie to hone his martial arts, not to start a massacre.
He wanted to polish his martial arts under steel and blood. He then helplessly discovered that the Northern Yuan experts had no longer brought him too much stress. Killing experts was like butchering dogs!
There was not a trace of joy nor was there any meaning to it!
“Wait a while!”
Just when Junior Leopard was leaving carrying their leader’s head, there was a shout from behind. The voice was very old. Junior Leopard’s eyebrows lifted up. That was because he saw that behind him there was an extremely old man kneeling in the snow.
“What’s up?!”
Junior Leopard turned around and asked. He was behind enemy lines, and he did not have any good inclinations toward the Northern Yuan people—actually, he hated the Northern Yuan. Hence, he approved the Jin’s extermination campaign. He even delved right into it to come to Northern Yuan to kill off experts.
However, killing was killing. He was uninterested in these normal people that did not know martial arts. Now he even felt meaningless about killing the experts, let alone killing normal people.
“I’m Wuli Ji, I plead with Your Excellency to save our tribe!” After speaking, he buried his head deep within the snow, his body repeatedly trembling.
“I didn’t hear wrongly, did I? I just killed one of your warriors and now you want me to save your tribe?!” Junior Leopard said somewhat unexpectedly. He already felt that this old fellow must have had his brain frozen by the snowstorm.
“Yes, Buhe is our tribe’s number one warrior. However, he has fallen in battle and died. It’s natural for him to die at the hands of a warrior. That’s also the fate of our tribe. We can’t blame anyone!”
“Even if you all don’t hate me, I’ve no reason to save you all!”
“I don’t seek for Your Excellency to save our whole tribe. I only wish that you bring away the minors. They’re the last hope of our tribe!” The old man raised his head from the snow. The snow was all over his beard. There was an unspeakable grief. “They are the last seeds of our tribe, I don’t wish for them to die here!”
“Minors?!” Junior Leopard said, smiling coldly. “The snowstorm is intense. Do you think that I can bring these kids out of the prairie?!”
The old man did not speak. He only stood up trembling. “There are not many children in our tribe. Including the newborns and the boys and girls, there are only seven of them. Your Excellency need not take care of them. As long as they could be brought out of the prairie and allowed to live!”
“Seven?!” Junior Leopard’s gaze condensed. Although this tribe was not big, it had several thousands of people. How come there were only seven kids?!
Raising his eyes to look, half of the tents within the tribe had already been collapsed by the snowstorm. Cows and lambs were frozen to death. Those luckily living people were also fighting with hunger and the cold. The entire tribe was enshrouded in despair. This was a tribe facing extinction. Even if he had not killed their warrior, they would not be able to survive the winter, much less the Jin army that would head north.
Maybe because of this, the old man would make such an action?!
When there was an illness, one hurried to find any doctor he could. Maybe that was the rationale behind this.
“Our Whitemoon tribe was the ruler of the prairies 10,000 years ago. We faced immense pressure then because we were against the establishment of the prairie alliance. Consequently, we are reduced to such a state. Our Whitemoon tribe has suffered countless pillages over the years. The number one tribe no longer exists. However—!”
When saying “however”, the old man’s eyes flashed a colorful light. “My Whitemoon tribe still kept two copies of martial arts manuals that we obtained from the Central Plains. If Your Excellency agrees to save these pitiful kids, I’m willing to give you those manuals!”
“Martial arts manuals?!” Junior Leopard said with a laugh. “This is rare. If those manuals are really that powerful, then how did your number one warrior die so easily?!”
“Buhe was not suited to practice those martial arts!” Wuli Ji said, smiling bitterly. “Your Excellency is a martial arts expert, hence you should understand naturally that to cultivate martial arts, one can’t be an expert just based on one martial arts manual. Buhe was our Whitemoon tribe’s number one warrior. It’s a pity that he didn’t have a teacher, hence he couldn’t cultivate the martial arts within. He could only pick those superficial skills to learn!”
“Oh—!” Junior Leopard’s heart slightly moved. When he exchanged blows with Buhe, he already felt that the martial arts that Buhe used were different from the other prairie warriors. It was just that he had not honed them to perfection. Junior Leopard did not bother about it either. Now that Wuli Ji had mentioned it, Junior Leopard felt somewhat interested.
“You are saying that the weird martial arts he used were snatched from the Central Plains?!”
“Yes. The two martial arts manuals preserved by our Whitemoon tribe were stolen from the imperial palace!” Speaking of which, the old man’s face revealed a prideful look. “Back then, our Whitemoon tribe ruled the Central Plains. We even attacked the Royal Capital!”
“Yes, you even attacked the Royal Capital, but now there are only seven kids left!” Junior Leopard laughed coldly and interrupted the old man’s beautiful memories.
The old man’s expression stiffened. He sighed and dared not speak another sentence.
“Aren’t you scared that I’ll steal them after you’ve told me these things?!”
“Yes, of course I’m scared. However, it is what it is now. There’s no solution, even if I’m scared!” Wuli Ji said with a bitter smile. “If Your Excellency doesn’t agree to bring these kids away, then our Whitemoon tribe can only last for 10 more days before we are exterminated. Even though those two martial arts manuals might be powerful, they won’t have any meaning!”
“Hence you are trying to make a bet on me!”
“You only killed Buhe and a few warriors and didn’t harm the others,” Wuli Ji said. “Hence, I made this bet. As for whether I can win, it only depends on Heaven’s will!”
“Alright, now you’ve won half. Bring me the things and let me have a look. If they’re useful for me, I’ll take them away!” Junior Leopard said, “I won’t agree to any other conditions, so…!”
“I’ll also not put forth any more requests,” said the old man. He shook his head to a middle-aged lady by his side. That woman turned her body and entered a tent. After a while, she came out with two wooden boxes and respectfully passed them to the old man. The old man received them and passed them to Junior Leopard.
Junior Leopard received the wooden box with no expression. He opened it up and his eyes shot out two bright lights!
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